1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular to an improved method and apparatus for providing applications to users. Still more particularly, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for providing users access to application over a distributed data processing system.
2. Description of Related Art
The Internet, also referred to as an xe2x80x9cinternetworkxe2x80x9d, is a set of computer networks, possibly dissimilar, joined together by means of gateways that handle data transfer and the conversion of messages from the sending network to the protocols used by the receiving network (with packets if necessary). When capitalized, the term xe2x80x9cInternetxe2x80x9d refers to the collection of networks and gateways that use the TCP/IP suite of protocols.
The Internet has become a cultural fixture as a source of both information and entertainment. Many businesses are creating Internet sites as an integral part of their marketing efforts, informing consumers of the products or services offered by the business or providing other information seeking to engender brand loyalty. Many federal, state, and local government agencies are also employing Internet sites for informational purposes, particularly agencies which must interact with virtually all segments of society such as the Internal Revenue Service and secretaries of state. Providing informational guides and/or searchable databases of online public records may reduce operating costs. Further, the Internet is becoming increasingly popular as a medium for commercial transactions.
Currently, the most commonly employed method of transferring data over the Internet is to employ the World Wide Web environment, also called simply xe2x80x9cthe Webxe2x80x9d.Other Internet resources exist for transferring information, such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Gopher, but have not achieved the popularity of the Web. In the Web environment, servers and clients effect data transaction using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), a known protocol for handling the transfer of various data files (e.g., text, still graphic images, audio, motion video, etc.). The information in various data files is formatted for presentation to a user by a standard page description language, the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). In addition to basic presentation formatting, HTML allows developers to specify xe2x80x9clinksxe2x80x9d to other Web resources identified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). A URL is a special syntax identifier defining a communications path to specific information. Each logical block of information accessible to a client, called a xe2x80x9cpagexe2x80x9d or a xe2x80x9cWeb pagexe2x80x9d,is identified by a URL. The URL provides a universal, consistent method for finding and accessing this information, not necessarily for the user, but mostly for the user""s Web xe2x80x9cbrowserxe2x80x9d.A browser is a program capable of submitting a request for information identified by a URL at the client machine. Retrieval of information on the Web is generally accomplished with an HTML-compatible browser. The Internet also is widely used to transfer applications to users using browsers. With respect to commerce on the Web, individual consumers and businesses use the Web to purchase various goods and services. In offering goods and services, some companies offer goods and services solely on the Web while others use the Web to extend their reach.
Users exploring the Web have discovered that the content supported by HTML document format on the Web was too limited. Users desire an ability to access applications and programs, but applications were targeted towards specific types of platforms. As a result, not everyone could access applications or programs. This deficiency has been minimized though the introduction and use of programs known as xe2x80x9cappletsxe2x80x9d,which may be embedded as objects in HTML documents on the Web. Applets are Java programs that may be transparently downloaded into a browser supporting Java along with HTML pages in which they appear. These Java programs are network and platform independent. Applets run the same way regardless of where they originate or what data processing system onto which they are loaded.
Java is an object oriented programming language and environment focusing on defining data as objects and the methods that may be applied to those objects. Java supports only a single inheritance, meaning that each class can inherit from only one other class at any given time. Java also allows for the creation of totally abstract classes known as interfaces, which allow the defining of methods that may be shared with several classes without regard for how other classes are handling the methods. Java provides a mechanism to distribute software and extends the capabilities of a Web browser because programmers can write an applet once, and the applet can be run on any Java enabled machine on the Web.
With Java applications and other more application specific applications, application service providers are providing users access to applications that are maintained and managed by the applications service providers. An applications service provider typically provides a suite of Web based software applications that a user may access.
These applications are located and maintained at the application service provider rather than at a client machine. A user may access applications by contacting the application service provider. This contact is facilitated through the use of Web pages. The applications selected and used by the user may take many forms. For example, an application may take the form of an applet that is sent to the client when the user selects the application for execution. Alternatively, an application may reside at the application service provider with processes being executed at the application service provider""s server. The user interacts with the application through a graphical user interface, which may be for example, a Web page or an applet that functions to receive input and present response to the user input.
Under the xe2x80x9copen hostingxe2x80x9d application service provider model, a user must xe2x80x9cshop aroundxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cbrowsexe2x80x9d various application providers on the Internet for the desired applications. These application providers are third party vendors of software. The user is required to select applications from these application providers and arrange for their transfer to the application service provider, thus building a customxe2x80x9csuitexe2x80x9d of applications that is hosted by the application service provider. The process of selection and transfer may differ from one application provider to another application provider. The process of setting up a suite of applications at an application service provider can be time consuming and tedious.
Therefore it would be desirable to have an improved method and apparatus for selecting and installing applications on an application service provider.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for use in a distributed data processing system for transferring an application. A user selection of an application at a first site is detected. Responsive to detecting the user selection of the application, location information for the application is passed to a second site. The application is transferred from the first site to the second site using the location information.
This process is particularly useful for use in selecting applications from a application provider to use in at application service provider. The location information provided may take the form of a universal resource identifier or some other key that the application service provider may use to obtain the application.